Do Eczema Baths Work?

Eczema baths are often targeted as an effective way to treat large areas of the skin in people who develop eczema as a response to an allergen. Many such products have called the effectiveness of eczema baths into question. The BBC recently ran an article that reported on findings of the British National Health Service In the past, the Eczema baths were thought to be an effective way to easily deliver the medication to large areas of skin.

The good news is that while products added to bath water, products that are rubbed onto the skin may still be effective. The National Eczema Society criticized the findings of the NHS on the effectiveness of bath products, saying the researchers ignored the anecdotal evidence of many of the patients that the products added to bath water worked and offered relief for the condition. The baths were also thought to trap moisture into the skin. The study found no evidence to support this conclusion.

Eczema is a condition with varied causes. Symptons includeitchy, dry, hot and red skin and the severity can vary according to the National Eczema Society. What the study and the reports did not make clear is whether or not the people who claimed relief from the baths was a higher percentage than one would normally get for the placebo effect. The placebo effect occurs when a patient gets benefit from something known to have no medical value simply because the patient believes it will be effective. It is common for patients to be given a placebo in a control group when surveys are conducted.

Eczema baths may not be the most effective treatment and the study cautioned that ointments and other products that rub directly on the skin. The study was designed to find out whether a major cost used for the condition in Great Britain was a waste of money or should be continued, but if relief from eczema can be obtained from the baths and more importantly, the eczema baths cause no harm, there is no reason for them to stop being used.

Insurance companies may pick up on the research to stop paying for such medications in the United States or other countries that do not have a national health care system. People who live in the countries who find that the eczema baths offer relief may need to find over the counter remedies to achieve the same effect.

Sources:

"Eczema: Frequently Asked Questions." National Eczema Society

"Eczema Baths a Waste of Money." BBC News.